Meet the OLE director Anthony “Tony” Molinaro assumed the role of OLE program coordinator in August 2022 and took over as director in January 2023. Molinaro has always been active and enjoyed the outdoors, with some of his fondest, earliest memories involving hiking and fishing trips with his family. It wasn’t until college when he started to explore different avenues and tried rock climbing. Molinaro joined the military after high school and later attended West Virginia University to study outdoor education. After graduating, he served as a seasonal outdoor educator, facilitating a wide gamut of outdoor activities, such as rock climbing, camping, whitewater rafting, kayaking, and zip-lining, as well as developing programming for middle and high school students. He later studied outdoor programs extensively while in graduate school at the University of New Hampshire, taking on an adjunct position teaching a backpack and outdoor leadership course while there. “What I enjoy most about the outdoors is the very intentional communities you form, facing different challenges that you don’t have in everyday society, and disconnecting from social media and the world,” said Molinaro. “It focuses you and brings you into the present, having well-intent and meaningful discussions with others. Everyone is their authentic self, and it gives us a sense of belonging and purpose.” Molinaro is excited to lead and continue to grow the OLE program at Lycoming. How you can support OLE OLE offers beginner, intermediate, and advanced trips to help students feel comfortable participating. The interest is always there, but the accommodations sometimes aren’t. It’s essential for OLE to increase the capacity of its students who can participate in a wide range of opportunities. Equipment such as backpacks, boots, and tents are needed in order to serve more students on any given excursion, as are satellite phones which are necessary for safety. With only one 12-passenger van available, the program is limited to how many students can be transported at a time. Some of the remote destinations can’t accommodate larger vehicles like a bus, so additional van transportation could expand access to participants. What I enjoy most about the outdoors is the very intentional communities you form If you would like to learn how you can support OLE, please contact Robb Dietrich, assistant vice president for major and planned gifts, at dietrich@lycoming.edu or 570-321-4401. Learn more about Outdoor Leadership & Education at www.lycoming.edu/outdoor. 13 www.lycoming.edu
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